Mark and Katya have been taking youth and young adults sailing with them on voyages from 4 days to 3 months, since 2010.

Mark Gordon has been a licensed Captain for over 27 years and currently holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Masters License with offshore sailing endorsement. He has been a licensed EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) for over 25 years. Mark has worked in wilderness programming for over 20 years. He has spent over 1000 days leading wilderness trips with groups of all ages and has directed three wilderness programs. He has owned three sailboats and sailed over 20,000 miles on the Great Lakes and on the Atlantic Ocean.

Amicus II is our custom built, 40' steel cutter. She meets or exceeds all Coast Guard safety requirements. An all-ocean sailboat, She weighs 27,000 lbs., with a 11.5' beam and a 5.5' draft. She carries 100 gallons of water and 70 gallons of diesel fuel and is equipped with a 54 hp. Perkins engine. Because of her heavy full keel and stout rig she is extremely stable and moves easily through large waves. Her hard dodger and deep cockpit provide shelter from the elements. She sleeps eight and carries an EPIRB and an inspected life-raft. She has a composting head (toilet), a diesel cabin heater, and a propane two-burner stove. Solar panels and a wind generator provide electric energy and allow us to sail with total self-sufficiency far from civilization.

Our Credentials

Katya Gordon has over 15 years' experience leading canoeing, backpacking, and snowshoeing expeditions all over North America for adolesents and adults of all ages and abilities.